■ TOURISM
Travelers to Vietnam warned
The nation’s chief consumer protection regulator yesterday reminded those planning to go to Vietnam of the country’s prohibition against religious gatherings, except for Buddhist, Catholic and Christian religious ceremonies. The Consumer Protection Commission official said that although Taiwan shares similar beliefs with Vietnam, the latter is a communist country that restricts assemblies. In Vietnam, those planning to hold a gathering or event related to religious missionary work must obtain the permission of the authorities, the official said, citing a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official warned travelers against joining unapproved religious activities in Vietnam, which maintains no diplomatic ties with Taiwan, to avoid possible trouble and financial losses. The official reminded travelers that Vietnam has been affected by avian influenza outbreaks since December 2004.
■ CULTURE
New York exhibition planned
The cultural division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York is set to host a “Taiwan handicraft and style” exhibition from Wednesday to June 30. Eight Taiwanese handicraft artists and modern designers will be collaborating to display 20 of their works at the exhibition. Traditional handicraft techniques, such as bamboo weaving, snake pottery and blue dyeing, have been combined with modern design concepts to produce the works, which include electric fans, computer carrying cases, furniture and kitchenware. The exhibition is jointly organized by the National Taiwan Craft Research Institute and the Taiwan Design Center. The creations will also be displayed during the “Passport to Taiwan” festival in New York City on May 25 and at the International Immigrants Foundation Expo-Fest in Manhattan on June 15.
■ MEDIA
TV stations face lawsuit
Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝) threatened yesterday to take two cable news stations to court if the station managers and reporters refused to apologize for their allegations that he misused his special allowance on personal items during his stint as the head of the National Palace Museum in 2002. “The two television stations aired the segment without first verifying the facts. Their erroneous claims have tarnished Minister Tu’s reputation,” a Ministry of Education press release said. On Friday, the two stations claimed prosecutors had discovered that some of Tu’s reimbursement receipts from his time as the museum director included personal items, such as women’s jewelry, a suit and even party expenses accrued by his son. Tu reportedly claimed the jewelry was not for his wife, but for a female Austrian museum director.
■ EDUCATION
Contest dates announced
Registration is now open until May 23 for anyone interested in competing in the fourth annual “National English Spelling Bee Contest,” the Sayling Wen Cultural and Education Foundation said yesterday. Regional competitions will be held on May 31, June 7, June 14, June 22 and June 28 in Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taipei and Taoyuan. The final competition will be held on Aug. 8 in Taipei. Registration is free and open to all elementary, junior high school and high school students. This year the overall winner in each category will receive a NT$80,000 package to study abroad or NT$30,000 in cash. For further information, visit www.saylingwen.com.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese